Topic

Tactics

Tactics are the exciting part of any campaign – the actions that involve people, put pressure on powerholders, and make a splash in the media. This topic includes activities to choose your tactics from a wealth of options, case studies that showcase different tactics, and the nitty gritty of organising particular actions.

The Tactic Star

The Tactic Star is a tool for planning and evaluating tactics, it names some key factors that change agents should consider when determining their tactics.

Black and white cartoon drawing depicting actions during social distancing. A person leans out of a car talking through a loud hailer, fists poke out of an apartment building, there are sound lines depicting music.

Action tactics during the time of social distancing

Blackout Collective and The Ruckus Society have joined together to make this user-friendly handout about action tactics you can take during the time of social distancing. Includes car bloc, noise demo, twitter storm, phone jam and physically distanced rally.

Protestors wearing masks and holding placards gathering for a Black Lives Matter rally.

Make Change: How-To’s for Effective Peaceful Protest

Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement this article includes tips and links to make what you need for safe, peaceful, and effective protest. Includes signs, effigies, banners, street art, ways to manage pepper spray and tear gas, surveillance considerations and interactions with police liaison.

Photo of the front cover of the Beautiful Trouble book.

Beautiful Trouble’s Guide to Activism During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Beautiful Trouble principles and creative tactics for activism while the world goes through the COVID-19 pandemic. Includes tactics for building a sense of community and continuing to pressure people in power.

How to Get More Petition Signatures

A guide developed by ActionStation to support community members to run successful petitions, including notes on strategy, tips for getting more signatures, and example campaigns.

Ducks For Detainees: Interview about artivism

An interview with Maggie Cowling from Ducks for Detainees which is a group that holds art events to maintain awareness of the plight of offshore detainees.

Tools for Canvassing and Door Knocking

How-to guide on networked coalitions/campaigns. Harness the power of networks to develop more agile, dynamic and distributed campaigning coalitions.

Volunteer-led Phone Banking Guide

Volunteer-led phone banking How to Guide from Blueprints for Change. Learn all the ins and outs of phone banking – theoretical and practical.

Texting campaigns guide

How to guide from Blueprints for Change about how use peer to peer texting (P2P) to deliver calls of action – includes best practice and case studies.

Photograph of students holding a banner reading 'Our Future, Our Reef, Don't Risk It'.

Live tweeting at rallies and marches

Twitter is a very useful way to share your story outside traditional networks. Increasingly Twitter quotes and photos are used to embed in traditional media, and with a small amount of effort you can get your event trending. This will alert politicians and media to your issue.

A group of smiling protestors under a tarp shelter. A banner reads 'Coal Out, Renewables In'.

Preparing for a Community Blockade

Here are some practical things you may like to consider in logistical preparations for a community blockade: helpful skills, action roles, and logistical preparation.

A brick wall painted white with the words Art = Change! graffitied in black

Art and Campaigning: Lessons about the Effective Use of Art in Campaigns

Lessons about the effective use of art in campaigns from three activist artists: Tom Civil, Arlene TextaQueen and Van Thanh Rudd.

Singers wearing hats advocating “No Torture” line up before performing at a Human Rights Day event outside of Mogadishu Central Prison in Somalia.

Campaigning in High-Risk Environments

How do organisers and campaigners keep working for social justice when the environment they’re in becomes high risk?

Two women sit at a desk, one of them on the phone, the other taking notes in a notebook.

Tips for phonebanking or calling volunteers

Whether you are looking to recruit members or talking to voters in far-flung electorates, these are some basic guidelines for getting the most out of phone conversations.

Several pairs of earrings featuring #StopAdani in the shape of a pentagon with a triangle at the bottom

Suppliers of custom printed products T-shirts, banners, stationary, lanyards

Looking for the right supplier for your organisation’s custom-printed products can be time consuming. Australian Progress has searched the internet far and wide to compile a list of miscellaneous suppliers so you don’t have to.

A table with assorted sliced fruits and sushi

Catering Services for Non-Profits

No matter the event – the quality of the food leaves a lasting impression. How do you find the perfect caterer? Australian Progress has compiled a list of Australia-wide catering services that have progressive qualities ideal for fellow non-profits.

a collage of portraits of 10 different Australian politicians

Tips for meeting MPs (or asking your members to)

Advice that can easily be adapted to your needs whether it’s meeting with an MP (or Senator) yourself or helping your members do it.

A stage with colours flights and the words Progress 2015 spelled out in oversized white letters

Event Organising Tips

Australian Progress shares 7 lessons from running Progress 2015. Get an insight into the their ticket sales strategy, social media successes and failures, event theming choices, budget management, sponsor recruitment, and program design.

Person dressed in Nemo fish costume at a protest

Crowd sourced Animal costumes register

We’ve all been there – you need an elephant costume or a Nemo suit for a press conference this afternoon, or a chicken suit for your factory farming protest. Find out who has one here, and add your own!